Home
by browniec84
Summary: One year after Bosco left New York, Faith finally becomes witness to his new life. Chapters 5-7 added; complete. :)
1. Default Chapter

Title: Home 1/7

Pairing: Bosco/Faith

Spoilers: Nothing really, though knowledge up through season 6 is fair game.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I had this posted on other boards and was recently convinced to post it here:) I hope you enjoy it.

Faith froze when she saw him sitting alone at a small table reading the newspaper while sipping on a cup of coffee. The sun filtered in from the window, landing on his table and illuminating his every feature.

The difference in his looks amazed her. His hair was lighter now, and he wore it slightly shaggy and curly. He even wore thin wire-rimmed glasses that matched his face perfectly, like they were always meant to be there. The once overpowering jagged scar on his right cheek was softer and less noticeable. Even from across the room, she could tell that his eyes seemed older.

This man bore little resemblance to the man who was her partner and her friend for so many years. She wondered if anyone who knew him now knew about his life before. Looking at him sitting in the small café, no one would have ever been able to tell that he was once a young, hot-headed, act now ask questions later cop.

He looked like a family man, like he belonged in the small town far from the city. She stood just inside the doorway clutching her small blue purse in her hands, her blond hair cascading over her shoulders, framing her face.

She felt her chest tighten when she saw him sitting there. She knew she had missed him, and she knew that she was dying to see him, but just how much she missed him hit her all at once, slamming into her soul and making sure that she knew just how hard it would be to walk away from him.

A young woman with long dark hair that was pulled up in a neat ponytail who was wearing a dark green apron over her black t-shirt and denim shorts walked up to where he sat, with a pot of coffee in hand.

"I figured it was time for a refill, Maurice," she said smiling brightly at him when he looked up from his paper and nodded happily.

"Thanks. You know me too well," he responded picking up the fresh cup and gratefully taking a drink. She simply laughed briefly and shook her head before turning and marching back behind the counter.

At the sound of his voice, Faith felt her body tense and her stomach turn in anticipation. Their only conversations since he left the city had been over the phone, but somehow hearing is voice travel over miles and miles of wires wasn't quite the same as hearing his voice travel across a room and reach her ears. She sucked in a breath sharply before trying to compose herself before making a move.

It was when he went to set down his cup after the long soothing drink that he spotted her standing there, watching him. His put down the cup completely and hopped off the stool that he was perched on. A large, infectious grin spread across his face as he quickly went to her, not hesitating before wrapping her in a hug. She was hesitant for only a moment as she tried to grasp the fact that not only was she seeing and hearing him, but that she was hugging him. She finally closed her eyes and let herself fall into the sweet comfort of the hug, wrapping her arms around his chest, curling them up to his shoulders as she buried her head in his neck.

"You're late," he whispered finally. She could tell that the grin was still plastered on his face as he spoke. She squeezed him tighter.

"I know. Sorry Bosco."

They stood there a few moments more before reluctantly releasing each other. He motioned with his head to the table before turning around and leading the way. She followed him immediately, never taking her eyes off of him as he walked and then pulled himself onto the stool.

Faith sat herself across from him, briefly looking around, taking in everything about the people surrounding them.

"It's good to see you," he said quietly, his voice bringing her eyes to his face. She smiled at him when she nodded in agreement.

"Ya look great, Bos…happy," she looked down into the empty mug sitting in front of her. She wanted him to be happy, but it hurt somehow. The fact that he had to leave, he had to become someone she didn't know to be happy cut her deeply.

She wondered if he would still be able to read her eyes as well as before, if he would be able to see the pain and the sadness that had become a permanent staple since he had left a year ago.

"I am happy, Faith. I mean, my life is a lot different than it was…it took a long time to get used to it, the slow pace, but I really do like it," he kept his eyes on her while he spoke. He desperately wanted her to look at him. He had waited so long for this moment and he wanted nothing more than to stare into her eyes and know that they were still okay…After everything that happened, that they were still them; partners.

Faith finally looked up as the young woman walked back up to the table, smiling at her and Bosco with the pot of coffee in hand.

"Hi, can I get you anything?" she asked, looking at Faith after smiling at Bosco briefly.

"Coffee's perfect," Faith says smiling politely as the waitress poured the steaming liquid into the waiting cup. When she finished, she stood back and looked to Bosco before looking back to Faith, clearly waiting for an introduction.

"Oh, Kate, this is my friend Faith. Kate owns the café," he said turning to Faith.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Kate started enthusiastically. "We were all starting to think that Maurice had made up all of his friends," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm sittin' right here, ya know," Bosco interrupted, feigning mild annoyance. Kate simply made a face at him before speaking.

"I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything just yell," she said cheerfully as she turned a headed to another table of customers. Faith and Bosco's eyes met as she walked away.

"So are you guys…" Faith started. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to know the answer to the question that was pulling at her mind. She wasn't an idiot; she had thought that he would find someone in his new life away from her and everything else that was part of who Bosco was. But it was something that he never shared in any of their conversations, and she never asked about it. She thought he had just finally just learned the meaning of privacy and tact which was something that was always missing from any of his relationships when she and Bosco were still partners.

He smiled at her, amused that he could hear apprehension and slight jealously in her question.

"No, we're not. She and her fiancé live next door to me. They actually showed me around when I first got here. Real nice people."

"Oh, that's nice. Ya made friends here," she said nodding. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him. For the first time in all the years that she had known him, she felt uncertain. She was uncertain about their friendship, about what to say to him, and about how to react to his words.

A short silence erupted between the two, Bosco staring at her smiling, Faith sitting uncomfortably across the table feeling a need to fill the quiet that would have once been extremely comfortable and even welcome.

"So, how's your ma?" she asked finally, picking up her coffee and taking a long drink.

"She's great, Faith. She's actually thinkin' of movin' here. She met a guy who wants to settle down and leave the city, which is great for me." His face was bright as he spoke about his mother, and Faith couldn't help but relax at his voice as he continued on, her unease fading away.

"She's been here a few times. She even brought the guy once. He seems alright, treats her good. And I made it known that New York isn't all that far from here so if I needed to, I could be there real quick. It also didn't hurt to point out that I have a hell of a lot of friends at the NYPD."

She laughed at him as she gazed at his beaming smile. She was really surprised at how happy, how excited about his life he was. She had always imagined that he would move here, away from her, his friends, his ma, leaving the city behind, and he would learn just how much he loved New York City. In her mind, she had given him three months at the most before he was at her door, waiting for her to welcome him back.

But it never happened. He never showed up at her door. He had adjusted to the giant upheaval in his world extremely well. He settled into his new life beautifully, taking to it almost immediately. And his words told her that he wasn't giving it up.

"That's great, Bos. Really great," she said trying to push the sense of loss she was feeling from her mind.

She knew. She knew that it was permanent now, with his mother planning on moving closer to him. He wouldn't be coming home.

Looking at her from across the small table, Bosco saw her eyes grow dim. He had expected as much. He had always told her that someday he would go home. Someday he would be ready. But he had never been able to find the words to tell her that his plans had changed. He had a life here now. A good life. It was almost perfect. Almost.

Faith looked away from him down into her mug, trying to hide the emotions that were threatening to break through to the surface. She could tell that he had noticed that she wasn't as happy as she was trying to seem. He knew her too well. Bosco had sighed sadly when she finished speaking, before they were enveloped in silence once more.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across her palm, both following the path with their eyes.

"Faith, I'm really glad you came." His voice was hoarse and quiet, barley above a whisper, causing Faith meet his eyes. What she saw there brought tears to her own. Since she walked through that door she had been yearning to see the Bosco that had left her behind, her partner of twelve years or so, and when she looked at him now, she saw him. Behind the glasses, inside his deep pools of blue, there was Bosco.

She let herself smile through the tears that filled her eyes as she stared steadily into his eyes. "Me too, Bos," she said wrapping her hand around his and lightly squeezing. The two friends sat there gazing at each other, their hands joined, both taking in every feature of the other after a year apart.

One final squeeze and their hands separated letting both sit back, both smiling.

"Ya wanna see my house?" he asked finally, his voice sounding like an over-excited child wanting to show off his new favorite toy.

"Of course I wanna see your house. I never thought I would see the day when Maurice Boscorelli would have his own house in a small town," she said with a laugh, his face bright as his smile took over his every feature.

"Alright, let's go," he said standing. He reached for his wallet and dropped a few bills on the table before turning to Kate and waving swiftly. He took Faith's hand and led her to the door, never noticing the smile that crept over her lips as she watched their fingers lace together.

"Ya know, I think that was least I have ever had to spend to get a woman to come home with me," he said with a smile, turning around to face her as he pushed open the door with his body.

"Keep walking, smooth talker," she laughed, pushing him out the door into the warm spring air. She looked at him as that sly smirk appeared on his face and she smiled wider. "I really missed you, Bosco."

"Yeah, me too," he nodded and said quietly pulling her closer to him as they walked around a corner, bound for the place he now called home.


	2. 2

Faith watched him as they walked together down the bright tree lined street on the way to his house. Bosco had told her all about his small home, but she still had a hard time picturing him with his own house. She sighed and leaned into him as if reassuring herself that he was still next to her, that she was actually holding his hand.

He turned to face her, a questioning grin on his face when he felt her eyes burning into the side of his face.

"What?" he asked when he was met by her gaze, before looking forward again. She smiled and blushed slightly but didn't turn away from him.

"I was just thinking about how different you look from the last time I saw you," Faith said quietly, finally looking away from him, where she saw the friendly waves and smiles directed at Bosco from the people driving and walking past.

Faith felt a strange jealousy as she watched him wave back at his friends and neighbours. She wanted to yell to them that she knew him first, and better than any of them ever would. She wanted them all to know that they would never know the kind of bond they had.

"Good different or bad different," he asked, his words breaking through her thoughts. His voice was quiet and almost worried. She laughed and pushed him lightly with her left shoulder.

"Good. Definitely good," Faith said happily. At her words he pulled his hand from hers bringing about a sadness in Faith that lasted only until he slid his arm across her shoulders, reminding her of the last night Bosco had been in New York. He had been loving and sweet, making sure that she knew that his reasons for leaving had nothing to do with her.

She relaxed under his arm and thought of the intense happiness he had brought to her that had so quickly changed to a sadness that had left her despondent and withdrawn from the world around her for months.

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_She walked out of the station house into the cool air of spring, her eyes downcast and her features sad. She turned, heading for the subway when she heard him call her name. She stopped walking but didn't turn to him._

_She knew that one look at him and her tears would be back with full force. Since the moment he told her that he was leaving, taking the disability offered from the Police Department and going in search of a life that would let him live without being reminded of what he was incapable of, she had been unable to think of anything else._

_She was standing in the middle of her kitchen when he told her. The mug filled with steaming coffee had slipped from her hands when the word 'leaving' passed over his lips. Her heart had shattered along with the mug that lay in shards at her feet._

_Faith heard him approaching her quickly as she stood on the sidewalk trying to keep herself together. She didn't want him to see her cry anymore. He didn't need that. She knew that he was hurting enough without having to deal with her pain too. He stopped behind her waiting for her to respond to him._

"_Faith, will you look at me?" Bosco asked quietly. Faith inhaled deeply and turned slowly to meet his eyes, which were begging her to understand. "Faith, I know you hate me right now, but I can't leave with you angry. I don't want to get in my car tomorrow not knowing if I'll ever see you again." He paused, looking away from her, down at the pavement._

"_That would be worse, Faith. That would be worse than staying here and feeling like I do now." Bosco said quietly, avoiding her gaze. He needed her to understand. He needed her support._

_The sadness in his voice broke the dam that had been holding her emotions back since before she had left for work that morning. She felt the same twinge in her stomach that she got when he first told her, the same physical pain that couldn't be lessened by anything other than time._

_Faith's breath caught in her throat as she tried to speak. He looked up then, seeing her eyes filled with tears and determination not to let them fall._

"_Bos, I don't hate you. I could never hate you, do you hear me? Don't you dare think that." She had given up trying to keep the tears at bay. They rolled down her cheeks, leaving cool tracks to her chin. "I just don't want to not hate you while you are thousands of miles away."_

_He smirked at her, his own eyes red and wet._

"_Faith, I'm not gonna go that far. And I'll come back. Once I can deal with everything, I'll be back."_

_She stared at him and nodded before pulling him into her for a hug. It was slightly awkward at first, since they had only really hugged once before then, the day that he was released from the hospital, but Bosco soon relaxed and wrapped him arms around her tighter as she silently sobbed into his shoulder._

"_Hey, can we save the waterworks? Can we just hang out, not think about what's happening in the morning?" He lifted her face and wiped at her tears with his fingers. Faith nodded as best she could with her face trapped in his warm hands._

"_Deal. Happy things only for the rest of the night," she said as she forced a smile, trying to reign in her anguish. "What do you wanna do?" she asked, stepping back from Bosco, wiping her own cheeks._

"_Is Em home? 'Cause I thought maybe we could just go for a walk, maybe get something to eat, and then go back to your place and talk or watch a movie, whatever you want. And you know, since I don't really have an apartment anymore, there are a few options of where we can go. I guess we can get a motel room, but how would that look?" he said with his half grin that always emerged when he was being playful or saucy._

"_My place is fine," she answered with a small laugh. "Emily's with Fred for the night, so if we watch a movie you don't have to share the couch."_

"_Or you," he added quickly and so softly that it made her wonder if he had even said it. She didn't question it, she just smiled and they both turned to look around, as if surveying the area like they had never been there before._

"_I thought we could go for a walk in Central Park. I remember you said once that you loved it at night," he said walking backwards in the direction of the park. She smiled at the fact that he remembered._

_She hadn't remembered telling anyone that._

"_I said that?" she asked quietly as she started to follow him._

"_Yeah. One time when you thought I wasn't listening in the squad. You said a lot when you didn't think I was listening," he said quietly as he turned forward and started walking side by side with her._

_Faith turned her head to look at him as he stared at his shoes moving across the dark, dry pavement, heading towards his car. If he had looked at her then he would have seen the look of pure shock and awe in her eyes. Faith had no idea that he had retained anything that she had said, especially not menial information that she said in passing._

"_I thought we could drive to the park. My legs don't take me as far as I would like anymore," Bosco practically whispered crossing the street to where his blue mustang sat. She didn't answer him. She didn't need to. They both knew that if he hadn't said it first, she would have insisted on it._

_The drive to the park was silent. The kind of silence she had always loved about their relationship. This was the silence that she would miss all of those nights as she lay in the sharp quiet of her bedroom that stung her ears._

_All too quickly, Bosco parked the car alongside the kerb. He looked to Faith and smiled sweetly._

"_You ready?"_

"_Absolutely," she answered before the both reached for the door handles and got out into the crisp night air._

_He waited for her to join him on the other side of the car before walking off down the path lined with dim street lights. After several moments of quiet strolling together, Bosco let his eyes look to the side to look at her. She stared ahead looking lost in thought. Her features were sad as her blond hair swirled behind her in the light breeze._

_Bosco refocused on the narrow road ahead of them, shoving his hands in his pockets as he exhaled sharply._

"_Ma wants to know if she can call ya sometime, you know, so you can like, do girly things," he said suddenly breaking the silence that settled between them. Faith looked at him, smiling._

"_Of course. That'd be nice. We got to spend a lot of time together while you were in the hospital."_

"_She really likes you, Faith. She hasn't shut up about you since I woke up," he said chuckling at her. "She said that she couldn't be prouder of you if you were her own. You must have told her some great stories."_

_Faith felt herself blush at his words. She felt a surge of pride at the fact that Rose thought so highly of her. Her eyes started to sting as her smile grew._

"_She did most of the talking. Maybe she liked my listening skills," she joked, running her fingers through her hair, untangling it and tossing it back over her shoulder._

"_I think she just sees what I see," Bosco answered, pulling his right hand out of his pocket and draping it around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. Faith stared ahead, unsure of what her reaction should be. At his touch, her muscles instantly relaxed and her stomach excitedly jumped forcing questions she had been suppressing for months if not years into her mind._

_She inhaled deeply and decided not to care about the questions; they didn't need to be answered. Bosco was leaving in the morning and she was going to let herself enjoy him and his company. Faith leaned into him and slid her arm around his waist, hugging him to her. She felt his arm squeeze her shoulder gently before leaning his head on hers._

_They walked comfortably for quite sometime before she felt him start to slow, and his limp started to become evident from the strain of the continuous walking._

"_Can we sit down for a little while, Bos? I'm kinda tired," she said quietly when she spotted a bench just ahead of them. He looked at her, gratefulness completely evident to her in his eyes. He nodded silently as they made their way to the wooden bench where they say side by side, their knees touching as he relaxed his arm across the back of the seat and breathed deeply, watching the people milling past._

"_I don't know what to talk about, Bos. I don't know what to say that won't bring us to where we don't want to be," she said finally, her words bringing his face to hers._

_He nodded sadly in agreement. "I know. Faith," he started, getting her to look up at him. "There was nothing you could have done that would have made my decision any different," he said quietly after a few moments._

_She looked at him shocked. But she shouldn't have been. He had always known what she was thinking and feeling. Just like she knew the same about him. She nodded sadly, looking away again._

"_Are you really that pissed at me that you can't even look at me?" he asked, half joking._

_Slowly she moved her head so she was facing him, but her eyes never really met his._

"_I'm not pissed Bosco, I… I'm sad," she said finally. "Looking at you, knowing that every single time I do is going to be one of the last for who knows how long is too much for me." She stopped, taking a deep breath as he moved even closer to her._

"_Faith, I'm sorry. You have to know that I don't want to hurt you, I just -"_

"_Bos, don't. You don't need to explain yourself. I don't want to make you feel guilty for doing what you need to, but I can't help how it makes me feel. I'm trying to understand. I really am…but it's hard."_

_They sat in silence for several minutes, letting her words settle between them. At one point Bosco's arm was removed from the back of the bench and his hand found its way to her knee where it rubbed gently. She smiled sadly at his attempt to soothe her as best he could._

"_I'll come back, Faith. I promise that I'll come back."_

"_I know. But I'm gonna miss you." Her voice was quiet as she choked back the tears that threatened to fall. He squeezed her knee which was his own way of telling her that he knew, because he felt the same._

_She leaned her head on his shoulder and hooked her arms around his, his hand still on her leg._

"_Come on," Bosco said after they had been sitting for quite some time, giving him ample opportunity to gather his strength._

"_Where are we going?" she asked confused as he pulled her up with him. He smiled broadly at her._

"_Not sure yet. Let's just go do something fun," his eyes were bright and excited and Faith couldn't help but laugh at him._

"_Okay, lead the way!" she answered, letting his excitement rub off on her. She took his hand as he eagerly pulled her towards the car. He talked fast, rhyming off what he wanted to do with her._

"_Let's just pretend we're tourists. It'll be fun. We can buy all kinds of useless New York crap," Bosco said as they made it back to the car and he unlocked the door for her. Laughing, Faith nodded in agreement._

"_Sure. What the hell?" she said as she got in, watching him run around the front of the car as best he could and jump in the driver's seat._

_He looked at her with his eyes wide as he pulled away from the curb, eager to give Faith at least one night of fun._

_The rest of the night went by quickly, blurring itself in Faith's mind. The best part of the night was burned into her memory; the part where he promised her that he would come home to her._

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Looking quickly at Bosco before turning her eyes back to the world around them, Faith saw the slight smile that had been painted on his face since she first spotted him sitting alone in the Kate's café. She had gotten so used to the scowl that was permanently planted there for the entire time she knew him that it surprised her to see him so pleasant.

She smiled at the thought of him being happy, trying to convince herself that it was good news. He came and found what he was looking for. Faith pawed through her memories of him, searching for a time when he was this happy.

She couldn't think of one.

Looking at this new Bosco, there was really no comparison to the one that had left New York, who hated himself. He had no idea who he was or who he was supposed to be. He had lost that knowledge the moment the bullets meant for Faith had ripped through his body.

Thinking back to that night a year earlier, she should have been nothing but happy. But as they rounded another corner and Bosco pointed to the small white bungalow, his grin wider than ever, Faith's heart sank when she realized that for the first time in their relationship, Bosco had made a promise that he wouldn't keep.


	3. 3

Unlocking the steel door that was painted blue, Bosco ushered Faith into his home. Closing the door behind them, he kicked off his shoes as he watched her, trying to gauge her reaction.

"It's nothin' much, but it's mine," he said quietly. Faith looked at him, forcing a smile through the sadness. "Living room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom down the hall," he said pointing in the direction of each room.

Faith stepped into the large, bright living room and oddly, she felt a sense of home; a sense of Bosco. She had thought it would be strange walking through the door, like entering a new, strange world.

But instead all she felt was Bosco. She smelled him; she felt his energy swirl around her in the air. She looked around and spotted the framed photos sprinkled around the room. Faith's breath stopped when she saw that many of them were of her and Bosco. She had no idea that he even had any pictures.

There were pictures from the very beginning of their partnership, up until just a few weeks before he left. There were even some of her kids.

"Bos, where did you get all these?" she asked, picking one up and turning to him. He smiled shyly, and blushed slightly.

"Lots of places. I have connections you know," he joked. "You gave me some; the ones of you and the kids. I got the others from anyone who I had ever seen take a picture of us over the years."

She smiled as she set down the frame that she held in her hands. Rose must have taken the photo. They day Bosco left the hospital. She had never seen the pictures from that day, but she knew just by looking at it. She would never forget anything about that day. His hair was long and shaggy, his clothes were baggy. But he looked good, healthy, and ready to leave the hospital. They sat next to each other on the sofa in his apartment, staring at each other smiling when the picture was snapped.

"This one's nice," she said turning around as he walked toward her. He nodded as his hand lazily scratched at his stomach. He had taken his glasses off and laid them on the small table near the front door. She smiled when she saw him looking more like himself.

"I barely have any pictures…of us." She looked back down at the picture she just held in her hand and the others surrounding it.

"You want something to eat?" he asked, breaking her intent focus on the mini glossy versions of the two of them. When she looked up to him, he caught the sadness in her eyes, before the fondness took over when she met his gaze.

"Are you saying that you could make me something?" she asked, half joking, half genuinely shocked at the prospect.

"Okay, do you really think I changed that much?" He stared at her with an eyebrow raised, his mouth half curled in a smirk.

"I don't know, maybe. For all I know you are a regular chef now. It could be just another trick you use to charm the ladies," she said with a laugh, slightly turning away and shoving her hands the pockets of her jeans.

Bosco was quiet for a moment, his smile light but still present.

"There really haven't been any ladies," he said softly, waiting for her eyes to meet his. When they finally did, they were wide in surprise. She had known that he wasn't the same confident Bosco that she had first met, but she had never expected him to give up women all together.

"I meant what I said that night," he continued, taking a hesitant step closer to her. "I meant it when I said that you were the only good thing in my life."

Faith had completely forgotten about his words. As they had stood next to his car in the very early hours of the morning the day he left, their arms wrapped around each other as they said goodbye after having been up for hours talking and just sitting in the quiet before falling asleep together on her couch, she had tried not to believe that he had meant anything more with those words other than the fact that they were partners; that she was the one person he could depend on to always be there.

Now though, looking at the sheer desperation and will for her to understand etched in his eyes, she let herself go to that place; the place that was buried deep in a far corner of her mind that she fought constantly to stay away from. It was the place where she let herself revel in the pure essence of Bosco. It was the only place in the world where the possibility of loving Bosco as more than a friend existed.

Looking at Bosco as he took another tentative step towards her, Faith felt that surge of emotion she felt in those odd moments when she traveled to that place pour through her and overtake all of her senses.

When he reached her, Bosco brought his hands to her upper arms, taking them in his grip. Faith's expression was blank and unreadable. Bosco searched her face, annoyed that she had learned to hide her emotions from him.

"Faith, I need you to know that thinking about you is the only thing that keeps me sane. I could never have survived these last fourteen years without you, let alone the past two years. This year here, I knew I had to get better for one reason. You."

She continued to stare at him blankly, but she wasn't really seeing him. She listened to the softness of his voice and felt the firm but gentle grasp that he had of her arms, but to her, what he was saying made no sense. He was telling her everything that she had wanted to hear for as long as she could remember.

But that wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to see her as his partner, his friend who mothered him constantly. He wasn't supposed to feel the same way about her that she fought to not feel about him.

"Faith?" He whispered, his face only inches from hers. Faith pulled her head back slightly, so she could clearly see his eyes. "Are you hearing me?"

Saying nothing, she nodded numbly as he slid his hands over her shoulders, brushing her hair off of her neck before cupping her cheeks in his hands. Faith stared at Bosco's face, his smile slightly wider than before. She felt his eyes drift from hers and settle on her mouth before he slowly leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.

Even with the intimacy of his hands on her face, she hadn't really expected for him to kiss her. Faith felt herself melt into his hands, taking fistfuls of his shirt at his sides to steady herself as she completely relaxed into him, her legs weakening beneath her.

The room around them faded away as the kiss deepened between them. Bosco's mouth opened, begging Faith for entry. He needed to taste her, she needed the same. Faith pulled him as close to her as he could get, their bodies pressing together.

Bosco felt her pulse quicken under his hand as is moved to caress her neck and pull her in, trying to get even closer to her. When air started to become an issue, they finally slowed and ultimately broke apart, but didn't step back from each other.

He looked into her eyes, trying to determine if that was the right move to make. When he saw the far off look that her features held, he smirked to himself as he ran his left hand through her hair feeling the silky length before bringing it back to her face.

"Bos," Faith started after a moment, breaking through both of their dazed states. "What are we doing?" she asked quietly, bringing her hands up to his arms feeling the tight muscles under his shirt.

He sighed heavily, letting his hands fall to her shoulders and taking a step back separating their bodies. He pulled his eyes from her and hung his head and looked to the floor.

"I…uh…sorry…"

"Don't be sorry," she said, cutting him off. Removing her hands from his arms, she reached up and forced him to look at her, tilting his face upwards, keeping her hands on his chin. "I don't need you to be sorry. I just need to know what's changed."

Smiling, he reached up and covered her hands with his own.

"Nothing. Nothing's changed Faith. Not really. There's just nothing in the way now." Bosco's voice was quiet and low and his features were gentle and inviting. "I thought you would have figured it out years ago," he finished with a slight chuckle.

Shaking her head as if trying to force everything that was floating in her head to fall into place, she looking away and a laugh of disbelieve found its way from her lips.

"Bos, what does that mean?" Faith asked, taking her hands from his and stepping back from him. She looked at him, seeing the answers she wanted evident in his face, but she didn't understand when this happened. She didn't understand how she could have been so ignorant of it.

"Do ya really want me to spell it out?" Bosco said sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Yeah, I do." She turned away from him before turning back and walking to him again.

"Faith, you know I love you. You have to know, after everything that we've been through. You have to know I would anything for you."

"And I do know that you would do anything for me. I would do anything for you, too. That's what partners do, Bosco. And I know you love me. You aren't friends with someone for fourteen years without loving them. But I just want to know when things changed. When did it become more than that, more than friendship?" Faith stared at him as her voice echoed through the room.

"Faith," he started barely above a whisper. "I don't think it was ever just friendship." He looked away from her as he finished, afraid to see her reaction. He had thought that she felt the same, but her reaction after he kissed her and all of her questions left him wondering if he had misjudged her feelings toward him.

As silence settled around them, both of them uncertain of what to say next, they looked anywhere but at each other. With a heavy sigh, Bosco finally looked to Faith to see her staring at the picture of them that she held just a few minutes earlier and had what appeared to be complete surprise plastered across her face.

"Forget it. Let's just get something to eat," he said, turning away from her and marching himself into the small, bright kitchen.

"Wait. Bosco," Faith started when she looked up to see his retreating form. She quickly followed him into the kitchen where he held the refrigerator door open, staring at the contents blankly.

"We aren't gonna forget it. Bosco, you basically just told me that you're in love with me and have been for a long time. How did you expect me to react?" Faith stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation.

Bosco stood straight and pushed the fridge door closed as he turned to face her. He said nothing but instead waited for her to continue. He didn't want to hear her explain why she didn't love him. And as he stood there, that's what he most feared would come from her mouth.

Faith stepped toward him, wringing her hands together as she tried to find the right thing to say to him.

"I didn't know how to react because I never expected you to say that to me, Bosco. I'm hardly your type," she said quietly, but Bosco cut her off before she could get any further.

"Come on, don't pull that, Faith," he said, his voice harsh and annoyed.

"I'm not pulling anything! Will you just let me finish?" she snapped back at him with equal force in her voice. "I'm trying to tell you that I didn't know what to say because I never expected you to feel about me the way I feel about you."

Faith breathed out heavily, relieved that for the first time in her life she had admitted her feelings about Bosco. He finally met her eyes and this time it was he who was surprised. He had expected her to go on a tangent about how they were friends and nothing would ever change that. He had expected to have to spend the rest of her visit pretending that nothing happened, and like he was okay with them being just friends.

Instead she was standing in front of him, looking as irritated as he had ever seen her after just having told him exactly what he wanted to hear. Bosco stared at her, his eyebrow raised.

Faith's annoyance quickly faded when Bosco took a large stride toward her and took her face in his hands, bringing his lips to hers in a soft lingering kiss. As they finally pulled apart, he leaned his forehead on hers.

Faith leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, before hugging him completely, leaning her head into his neck. Bosco's arm encircled her and his hands gently rubbed her back. He smiled to himself as he squeezed her.

"Bos," Faith whispered into his shoulder after several moments.

"Yeah," he answered, not moving away from her.

"I'm glad I came."

Bosco let out a light laugh at her words and kissed the top of her head. "Took ya long enough," he said sarcastically.

She let out a small laugh that turned into a sigh into his shirt as she gripped him tighter. She wasn't sure how she had gone a year without seeing him, without smelling him, without simply being in his presence. And she really wasn't sure what was going to happen when she had to go back to New York.


	4. 4

The early evening sun filtered through the curtains as a light breeze blew in from the slightly open window behind them. The room was rapidly darkening as the sun continued to set behind the houses that lined the other side of the street.

The relaxation Faith felt was indescribable as she pressed her head into Bosco's chest as far as it could go, breathing in his scent. Her arm reached across his chest and she hugged him to her, revelling in the feeling of his arm wrapped tightly around her. She looked up to him, her head still leaning on him. His head was rested lazily on the back of the couch, his mouth slightly open, his eyes closed tight in sleep.

She smiled as she felt his even breaths underneath her. His features were softened by the blue light that emanated from the television that sat quietly on across from the couch where they sat together. The emotion she felt when she looked at the man sleeping beneath her was indescribable. He was her partner, her best friend, and after only a few short days he had come to be so much more than that.

She reached up and traced the left side of his face with her right hand, letting her fingers linger on his chin. Her smile grew as she watched him continue to sleep under her touch. She moved her hand to his unscarred cheek as she leaned herself up lightly pressed her lips to his.

"Hmm," he moaned under her lips.

"Wake up, Bos. I'm going to get a shower. You can go to bed for a little while if you want," she whispered leaning back slightly. He looked at her with mock annoyance and pushed his head back further into the cushions when she leaned in to kiss him again.

"Seriously? You woke me up to go to sleep?" His voice was deep and raspy from being pulled so quickly from sleep.

"I didn't want you to wake up alone," she laughed, leaning in to kiss him again, this time accomplishing her goal. His hands reached up and his fingers played in her hair as he pulled her into him.

"We aren't going out for a couple hours," he said when he finally broke the kiss, glancing at the bright numbers on the clock of the VCR. Faith leaned herself up and straddled his lap and kissed him again before wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning her cheek against his. She could feel slightly raised edges of the now light scar that marred his beautiful face as she leaned into him.

"I know." She kissed his neck before continuing. "That's why you have more time to sleep," she added matter-of-factly, sitting back to look at him. His hands slid over her back as he watched her, with a smirk on his face.

"Why are you getting ready so early?" he asked her quietly as he reached up and rubbed his thumbs against her cheeks. She smiled at the complete tenderness of his fingers on her face. In all of the times she had heard Bosco talk about the women in his life, she never would have pictured him as the gentle, loving man that had emerged when she had arrived.

He had always seemed cold towards the women he was with. He was never satisfied. There was always something lacking, there was always something to complain about to her.

"What?" he questioned at the silly grin on her face. She just smiled wider and kissed his forehead, resting her hands on his neck. Bosco tilted his head back and leaned up, kissing her quickly before asking her again.

"What's that look for?"

"I don't have a look," she said, sitting up straight and looking at him, the grin still present on her lips.

He raised an eyebrow at her and snickered, leaning his head on the cushion behind his head and looked up to her.

"Yeah ya do. That one ya got right now. The one that says 'I know something you don't know'."

Saying nothing she shrugged and pushed against his chest to stand herself up. Faith smiled wider at the look on his face as she turned from him and started to walk away.

"Faith!" He yelled after her. She turned her head back, flashing him a grin as she rounded the corner, leaving Bosco in the darkening living room alone with his thoughts.

He stretched his arms up above his head before placing his hands behind him, supporting his head and neck while he watched the doorway she had just passed through. He listened as she made her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. That sound alone was enough to comfort him.

As much as he loved the little town he had stumbled across, he was lonely.

There were literally dozens of nights he was extremely tempted to pack up his car and go home. He knew that he was the only one that would be disappointed in that decision. Everyone else would welcome him back, no questions asked.

But he had to be ready. He had to be able to be in the city where he only knew how to be one thing, where he only knew himself in ways that were gone forever. Looking around at the comforts of his living room, he knew that if he chose to, leaving would be enormously difficult.

He had a life here now. A life that included friends and a routine that he didn't want to lose. Going back to New York would mean having to completely start over. Again. He wasn't sure he was strong enough for that.

But having Faith with him had given him that one piece of his life that he had forced himself to have no emotion for. He wouldn't have made it a week if he had let himself feel the emptiness of being without her. Instead he had pushed his feelings down, throwing himself into fixing up his little house, then into becoming a social being again.

They hadn't talked much. Only often enough to keep up with each other; he knew all about Emily and Charlie. He heard about Fred's attempt to try to convince Faith to fix their marriage and her refusal. He learned about Faith's desire to go back in time and be back in 55-David with him. As much as she loved being a detective, it was a lot different than the job that had become so ingrained in her.

In turn, Faith had learned about the neighbours that both warmly welcomed Bosco and thoroughly annoyed him. He told her about the plethora of books he had read now that for the first time in his life he had nothing to fill up his days.

There were times where the days stretched into weeks and even months between their calls but when they finally came, the two would stay up all night talking and laughing together. Throughout their entire friendship they had never had conversations like those they had during the nights they both laid curled up, each with a phone pressed to their ear.

Those were the nights Bosco had looked forward to most even as he settled into his new life. Even as his new friends were introducing him to beautiful, single women that normally he would have jumped at the chance to be with, he only thought of Faith and the next time he would hear her, see her, just be with her. He had no doubt that that time would come; it was just a matter of when.

Hearing the shower start, Bosco sighed and pushed himself up off the couch and clicked on the lamp that sat on a small glass end table to brighten up the swiftly darkening room. He picked up the remote and clicked off the television before making his way down the hall and into his bedroom.

He smiled as he flipped on the overhead light, seeing Faith's things strewn about the room. Their things mingled together on his dresser; her makeup and perfume mixed with his cologne, deodorant and hair gel. Her pink zip up sweater hung next to his dark blue one on the closet door. Some of her clothes were folded with his and sat on the small chair in the corner.

After four days, the bedroom already smelled like her. Simply by her being present, the whole house felt more feminine. Anyone who walked through the door would feel it. They would feel the subtle changes that Faith had brought. They would feel the life and the love that radiated through the rooms.

Bosco made his way to the large bed and let himself drop into the blankets. Bringing one arm up behind his head, he let his eyes drift closed, smiling as he listened to Faith's light humming coming from the bathroom.

And for the first time in a long time, Faith felt like she had something to hum about. She stood under the stream of steaming water, letting it cascade through her hair, over her shoulders and flow down her body before it swirled down the drain. She turned around slowly, letting the random hummed notes fall from her upturned lips in tune that meant nothing more other than the fact that she was happy.

She let herself revel in the warmth of the water for a short while before forcing herself to step out into the damp air of the bathroom. Wrapping herself in a blue oversized towel she walked to the sink and wiped the steam off the mirror with a dry facecloth.

Staring back at her was someone that a week ago she would have never knew could have existed. It was someone that looked more vibrant and alive than Faith had felt in years…literally. She couldn't even remember another time.

Sighing softly, she looked away. Faith didn't want to get too used to seeing that person. She would be gone once morning came.

Pushing all thoughts of her early morning departure out of her mind, she reached for the blow dryer that sat in the cabinet beneath the sink. She was going to enjoy her night. She was going to make sure that she and Bosco had fun, or at the very least that they had a relaxing night that would have no reminders that she would be back in New York City in less than a day.

Twenty minutes later Faith pulled Bosco's robe from the back of the door and slid her arms into the lightly warn fabric and tied it around herself, breathing deeply when all she could smell from the fuzzy white fabric was Bosco before opening the door into the dark hallway. Noticing the light coming from the Bosco's bedroom, she crossed the hall and silently opened the door.

He was lying in the same position he had fallen in earlier, his mouth was slightly open as his breaths came long and steady.

Faith couldn't help the gentle laugh that forced itself from her at the sight. He looked so young and innocent and completely vulnerable. She tilted her head to the side as she watched him, timing her breathing with his.

Slowly her smile faded. Her eyes began to water when he shifted on the bed, an incoherent mumble slipping from his lips because it was then that she realized how much she loved him.

Every little thing about him she loved. The way his eyelids lightly fluttered as he dreamt, the corners of his open mouth lightly curled upwards; the way he was sleepy and barely able to function for upwards of an hour after he woke up in the mornings; the way he closed his eyes as he had his first sip of coffee of the day; the way he brushed his teeth so vigorously; everything.

Even the things that used to piss the hell out of her while they were partners were things that she couldn't imagine living without.

Swatting away the single tear that had found it's way down her cheek, she shook her head as if trying to lose every thought that wasn't one of pure bliss. She took a deep breath and tiptoed over to the bed where she climbed up slowly and curled into him, pressing her nose into his cheek and kissing him softly.

"Bos," she kissed his cheek once more, whispering his name again, her light kisses continuing in between each time his name passed over her lips.

He groaned softly when he began to stir, turning his head toward to her.

"The light's too bright," he mumbled into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her. She chuckled abruptly when his lips found her neck.

"Whine, whine, whine," she responded sarcastically, rubbing her hands over his back. He pulled back from her, his mouth agape in mock horror.

"I am deeply offended!"

She laughed and moved into to kiss him, his lips widening into a grin as she neared him. When she finally pulled away, her hand resting against his cheek, he raised an eyebrow as he stared at her.

"You think I can be bought with a kiss?"

"Well, I'd give ya more, but if we want to make it to dinner you have to get your ass in gear," she said sitting up, pulling his robe tighter around her.

"Fine," he sighed loudly. He kissed her forehead as he crawled off the bed. "But I'll remember this." He put on his annoyed look as he stomped away.

Turning around when he got to the door, he flashed his bright smile. "You look really great in my robe."

"I know," she laughed. "Get ready. We're gonna be late."

"Nag, nag, nag!" he threw back at her, echoing her earlier comment as he left the room.

Forcing herself to stand up from the bed, she began sifting through her clothes as she listened to Bosco start the shower.

She had met many of the friends that Bosco had made since he'd come here, most of them only briefly in the few days she had been there. Since it was Faith's last night in town, they were meeting a small group of them for dinner. They hadn't accepted their excuse of wanting to be alone for the evening and had insisted on them joining the group.

By the time Bosco exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel that was wrapped around his waist, Faith was pulling a light blue sweater over her white tank top.

They smiled at each other as she pulled the hair from her shirt and walked to him, kissing him quickly on the lips before leaving him to get dressed.

A half an hour later Bosco was slipping Faith's light jacket over her shoulders as he leaned in and pressed his face into her hair, resting his forehead against the back of her head.

"Bos…we have to go," she mumbled quietly when he moved his face lower and placed a gentle kiss on her neck, his left hand finding its way to her stomach where it lingered possessively.

"I know," his words were muffled through her hair as he reached in front of her and opened the door, ushering her out without ever lifting his head. She laughed loudly, pulling away from him when they were outside.

"Behave," she said sternly, pointing at him when she turned around. Instantly his eyes widened and softened and lip quivered in mock nervousness. The puppy dog face. He knew how to use it and he wasn't afraid to whip it out every now and then.

Rolling her eyes, Faith and Bosco walked towards the car before climbing inside and heading to the small restaurant where they were meeting Bosco's friends. From there, the entire evening progressed smoothly and comfortably. Seeing Bosco so comfortable around the group made Faith appreciate the changes in him even more.

He had never really been the one to have friends, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. He had her and that was really it. He didn't really have anyone else that he could really just be himself with, go to for help, and talk to about his problems. She was excited for him.

The only unexpectedness of the night came when his friends began talking about how excited they were to get to know that woman that Maurice talked about so often.

She looked at him and watched him blush and look away. Bosco was not one to get shy, and she found the new reaction endearing.

Smiling, she had assured them she wasn't nearly as horrible as he probably made her sound only to be told that they thought he had invented her, created a perfect woman made only for him and seeing her real and in person had been a major shock.

Laughing off the comments and the slight embarrassment that followed, they managed to enjoy the rest of their night. Before long, they said their goodbyes to all of Bosco's friends and they were pushing their way through Bosco's front door, barely able to keep their hands off each other.

He pushed her jacket from her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor before moving his hands to the back of her neck where his fingers twirled through her hair. Faith's hands were tangled against the warmth of Bosco's stomach, handfuls of his shirt being pushed out of the way as she slid her fingers softly around to his back, the heat from his skin searing into her palms.

Struggling for air in the brief instances while their mouths were separate, the two began to stumble down the hall, their shoes having been kicked off somewhere along the way. Faith pulled Bosco into his bedroom, moving her hands to cup his face.

"Faith," he pulled back somewhat when she moved in again after one of their quick moments of freedom for air. His voice was quiet and questioning, and Faith could hear the struggle for control he was having with himself.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he brushed some stray hair off her forehead before kissing it softly. Faith said nothing but smiled broadly and nodded mutely, pulling him closer to her.

Wrapping his arms around her, he felt Faith melt into him. Their heartbeats were coming together, pounding against their chests. The smell of Faith's hair combined with her hands and lips on his body sent his head spinning.

The room around them seemed to fade away into the ether as they slowly made their way to the bed, both ready to go somewhere they had never been together, a place that neither of them thought they would get to.

Bosco looked down at Faith as she sat on the bed. She smiled his favourite smile, the one that lit up her entire face. He smiled back, leaning down to her. Seeing her so happy, he forgot about the fear he had when they first walked in the bedroom of the possibility that she was doing this only because she was going back to New York in the morning; because she wanted to make him happy and not because it was really what she wanted.

As he leaned her back, covering her body with his own, both of them felt the weight of sadness and worry about their lives outside of the walls of the bedroom drift away and they let themselves get carried away with the all of the love and the excitement that swirled around them.


	5. 5

It had been a week since she pressed her hand to the glass window on the bus, saying goodbye to Bosco as he stood on the sidewalk near the bus, a forced tiny smile that barely broke through the sadness that was etched over his face.

She tried to comfort him with her own smile, but it proved extremely difficult for her facial muscles to allow her lips to turn upwards. Even if she could have smiled, they both knew that it wouldn't have meant anything. He would have seen the sadness in her eyes. He always could.

Now, sitting at her desk in the small office she shared with Jelly who in normal circumstances would be referred to as her partner, but because of the extreme bond she and Bosco had shared the entire precinct still referred to him as her partner in those rare moments that they brought him up, she fought to focus on the open file splayed out in front of her. She started to read the same page over for the third time. She had been seeing the words but not really reading them, not really taking them in. Faith's fingers played with the top corner of the pages, gently curling it upwards absentmindedly as she tried to read.

She managed to remind herself every few lines that she was supposed to be concentrating, and her focus would spark up again. By the time she was halfway through the page she realized that her plan wasn't working. She was only picking up every other word and that made trying to solve a murder quite difficult.

So she stopped trying.

Faith let her mind wander away from work and fall on Bosco. She couldn't help the girlish grin that formed when she thought of their last night together.

He had been sweet and loving and passionate. Things that she had always known he was, even when he didn't show it, but it was completely different getting to experience him entirely first hand.

The way he moved over her, caressing her face as they watched each other showed her that he could still surprise her, even after no many years. She had never imagined he would be so gentle and nothing but loving during sex. The way he made sure she was comfortable and satisfied when he wrapped his arms around her as they snuggled up to each other made her love him even more.

Faith had to fight the giggle that crept in her throat when she thought about what she had done with Bosco. She had only ever been with one other man before and in all of those years with Fred, she had never ever experienced anything like the night she had spent with Bosco.

She was mentally kicking herself for not pulling him to the bedroom when he had first kissed her as they stood standing in his kitchen. They hadn't talked about if and when they would be together completely, but it was pretty much expected that they would take things relatively slow.

He knew he would be the first man she would be with since her divorce. She knew that he wanted her to know that it was going to be different with her. It wasn't about sex. It was about love and passion definitely, but sex could wait. They had already waited for almost fifteen years. A few days or even weeks or months wouldn't have killed them.

Picking up a pen, Faith began to doodle distractedly on the side of a page of notes she had written up regarding a case she and Jelly had spent the past three days working on. Well, Jelly had done most of the work. Faith had spent most of the time alternating between daydreaming about Bosco and trying to fight off those long moments where all she felt was intense loneliness that seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

As the pen slid along the margins of the white sheet of paper already filled with writing, Jelly called Faith's name for the third time, finally getting her attention making her head jolt up.

"What? Sorry," she said quickly, dropping her pen and forcing the smile from her face at the complete seriousness in his tone.

"You've been livin' on another planet all freakin' week, Faith. What the hell happened with Boscorelli?" he asked as he drained his mug of the cooling coffee.

It was common knowledge around the station that Faith had gone to see Bosco. When she had requested her first vacation time in almost a year, the questions started but she didn't need to answer them. Her excitement was evident in everything she did in the days and weeks leading up to her trip.

Everyone had a message for her to give to him. Evidently, Faith was the only person that he had kept in contact with. If it hadn't been for that, everybody would have thought he dropped off the face of the earth. She didn't have the heart to tell them all that their hellos and demands for a call or a letter had been completely forgotten in all of the private moments that she and Bosco had been caught up in. Instead she had smiled her first day back to work and told them how happy he had been to hear about them and that they should hear from him soon. Only a few eyed her suspiciously, remembering that it was Bosco they were talking about. The rest seemed content with her words.

"Nothing happened with Boscorelli," she answered defensively. She didn't want to hide what had happened with Bosco, but she wasn't entirely ready to climb up on her desk and scream that they had had sex.

She didn't even know what their next move was going to be.

"I'm just tired," she added quietly looking back to the work spread out in front of her. Jelly scoffed and shook his head, knowing better than accepting her excuse.

"I'm gonna go get some lunch," he said, reaching for the keys that sat on his desk. Faith looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.

"You just had lunch."

He thought about her words while he was walking past her desk through the door. She turned in her seat and watched him with a grin.

"That was like, pre-lunch. Besides, I can't work on an empty stomach." With that he winked and turned to leave.

"I'll be here," Faith said with a laugh, facing her desk once more. Sighing as her laugh faded away she looked at the phone contemplating whether or not she should call him. Taking a deep breath, she fought the urge and got up to fill her mug with fresh coffee.

They had spoken only a few hours earlier. She could wait until she got home from work. She wasn't a love-struck teenager who had nothing better to do than think about the new boy she liked. Laughing at herself because really, she was exactly like that, she took her black coffee back to her desk and started sifting through a new stack of files that had been waiting all day for her attention.

The rest of the day would be a struggle, even though she had been called out on several runs throughout the afternoon. The minutes felt like hours. Faith regretted deeply not taking those few minutes while Jelly was gone to call Bosco. Maybe then she wouldn't have been as anxious to get home to call him, to hear his voice. She studied her watch all day waiting for it to strike five.

Working days had definitely been better than working nights. Faith actually got to see her children when they were awake and not in a mad rush to make it out the door for school on time. Mealtime was something new too. Instead of eating in the front seat of an RMP she got to sit at the table with her daughter pretty much every night and yes most of the food was take out, but at least neither of them was alone.

Pushing open the apartment door carrying the Chinese food in her arms, Faith breathed a sigh of relief. She all but threw the food on the table before pulling her coat off and tossing it over the back of one of the chairs.

"Em, food's here," she yelled, unpacking the bags and setting the containers on the table. Emily padded in through the hall and went to the kitchen to get some plates before joining her mother at the table.

As Faith filled their plates, Emily watched her with her mouth turned into a half grin. Faith finally looked up and caught the look on her daughter's face.

"What?" she asked as she continued to scoop out noodles onto her daughter's plate.

"Bosco called. Twice," Emily smiled as she picked up her fork and started to poke at her rice. "He said he'd call again but I left the messages on the machine in case you wanted to listen to them over and over again like you did with the ones from the other day."

"I did not do that," Faith said feigning innocence. The truth was though that she had done it. She had mentioned how nice it was to come home from her trip and find a message already waiting from him simply reminding her to call him when she got in. He took the hint and called a few days later while she was at work so she would get the same surprise.

It hadn't been much; just enough to make her smile and wonder where he had kept this side of himself buried for so long that even she hadn't noticed it. Faith had analyzed and memorized every second of those messages until she erased them while trying to frantically pretend that she wasn't doing anything when Emily walked into the room.

She could hear the messages clearly in her head even as she sat refuting the claim that she listened to them repeatedly.

"Hey, it's me. Just calling to say hi. I miss you. It uh…it feels bigger here now that you're gone. That's it. Oh and uh, I hope you had a good day at work. Okay. Call me when you get in. I'll be here." With that he had hung up. Faith had laughed silently to herself about how nervous he sounded.

The other was shorter and sweeter and had elicited quite the laugh from both Faith and Emily.

"Just me again. I just realized that it's kind of our anniversary. A week since…I told you… That makes me sound like a chick or something. Okay, ignore this one. Carry on."

Emily just shook her head as she spoke around her food.

"Sure mom. It was me listening to it for hours."

Saying nothing, Faith just laughed to herself as she lifted the fork to her mouth.

"So what does Bosco do there?" Emily asked after a short stretch of comfortable silence.

Faith loved that Emily had been so accepting of her relationship with Bosco. Up until she had come home from seeing him, they hadn't really talked about him much. The last thing Emily wanted was to make her mother upset and she knew that's exactly what would happen if she brought up her far-away partner and best friend.

As soon as Faith walked through the door a week earlier though, Emily had been full of questions about her favourite ex-cop.

"He's not working but sometimes he volunteers at the school there and works with the kids and I know that some of his friends own a little café and he ran that for them while they went a cruise a few months back."

Emily raised an eyebrow at her mother.

"Seriously? Bosco's good with kids, but I can't see him working in a café," she giggled before taking a drink.

"Yeah, me neither. And apparently it didn't go over too well. He said it was a one time thing."

"Good, 'cause I really can't see Bosco in an apron, not to mention having to wait on people," Emily said with a laugh as she stared into her food.

"Yeah, I bet they all had real pleasant meals," Faith agreed. She let the silence wrap itself around them as they continued their meal in companionable stillness. Faith watched her daughter as they both ate the remaining food on their plates, with only brief instances of easy conversation.

Standing at the sink giving the dishes a final rinse, Faith handed the last plate to Emily to dry as she turned to her daughter.

"Your dad will be here soon. Do you have all your stuff together?" she asked quietly as she dried her hands in a clean dishtowel. Emily nodded as she reached up and put the dry plate in the cupboard.

"Do you want me to come home Sunday or wait until Monday after school?" Emily asked, folding the towel quickly and tossing in on the counter.

"Whichever you want," Faith shrugged before reaching up pushing Emily hair off her neck. "Just let me know and I can rent us a movie or something if you want to come home Sunday."

"Sounds good," as Emily spoke there was a quick knock at the door.

"Get your stuff, I'll get the door," Faith said as they both headed out of the kitchen. Faith threw back the lock and opened the door as Emily jogged down the short hall to her bedroom. Standing on the other side of the door, Faith was greeted with her ex-husband.

"Emily's just getting her things," Faith said, holding the door open allowing Fred to enter the foyer to wait for their daughter. Nodding, he walked through the door, his hands uncomfortably shoved in the pockets of his jacket.

"Charlie's not with you?" Faith asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Nah, he has a friend over so… He said he'd call you tonight," Fred answered simply. They had managed to be civil to each other but there was always a steady state of discomfort between them. It had been about seven months since he brought up the idea of them trying to work things out and seven months since Faith had said no. Since then things were worse than they had been since the divorce.

Faith felt like she couldn't be friendly without giving him the wrong impression, so instead she found herself being cold and distant and that just wasn't who she was. It wasn't who she wanted to be. And the fact that she only felt uncomfortable and somewhat annoyed when she saw the person she had known and loved since she was a teenager didn't do wonders for how much she liked herself.

She had always imagined that someday they would be able to have even simple conversations as co-parents and as people who used to know everything about one another. Instead though, words were a struggle. Finding something to say proved more difficult than either of them would have imagined.

Folding her arms over her chest, Faith looked to her feet as they waited for Emily to come bounding from her room.

"So, uh Emily might want to come home Sunday. If you can't take her, get her to call--"

"I can take her," he said defensively, cutting her off. "Why would she want to come back Sunday?"

Faith sighed heavily and shrugged.

"I don't know, Fred. She just said she might come home." Before either of them could say anything else, the ring of the phone cut through the air. "I have to get that," Faith said, turning away and reaching for the small white cordless phone that sat on the end table next to the couch.

"Hello?" she answered, bringing the phone to her ear. Forgetting that anyone else existed the moment she heard his voice, her face widened in a bright smile and she sighed her frustration at Fred away. "Hey."

"Did you listen to my messages?" Bosco asked on the other end of the line. She could hear the smirk on his face.

"No, but Emily did so you better not have said anything bad," she laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Hey, I'm sure that she's heard worse." Bosco's voice was sarcastic and playful. Faith felt her stomach flutter at his words, bringing about the hope that she would never stop feeling like a girl in love for the first time.

"Yeah, okay. She better not have to be in therapy for the rest of her life."

"That would be all you," he started but before she could come back with anything witty or snide, he kept talking. "How was your Friday?"

"Hmm, it's over. That's the best thing. I couldn't wait to get home," she said as she traced the fingers of her left hand over the smooth wooden surface of the small table in front of her.

"To talk to me?" he asked sweetly, making her chuckle.

"Yeah, to talk to you," she said through her smile. At the annoyed groan she turned around to see Fred rubbing his eyes with his hand. Sighing, she figured it would be best to continue her conversation later.

"Listen, Em's just leaving for the weekend so I'm going to call you back, okay?" she said, turning her back to Fred again as Emily pulled her bags into the doorway.

"Fine, but don't forget. I love you," Bosco sighed into the phone. Faith could tell that he still felt out of sorts saying that, so she was completely moved by his openness and willingness to say it to her.

"Hey dad," Emily said throwing her book bag down next to her small suitcase.

"How long do you think you are leaving for, Em?" Fred asked as he picked up her bags. Emily just rolled her eyes at him, slipping her jacket on.

"I won't forget…I love you too," Faith said quietly, taking the phone from her ear and setting it back in its base. She turned around to a grinning Emily and a very disgusted, angry Fred. Faith just smiled sweetly at her daughter and ex-husband, walking over and kissing Emily on the forehead and taking her daughter's face in her hands.

"Have fun sweetheart. Let me know when you want to come home."

"I will. Love you, mom," she answered turning to follow her already retreating father down the hall.

"I love you, baby. Be good!" Faith called. She closed and locked the door. She smiled to herself as she went to her room, quickly changing into her most comfortable pair of pyjamas before shuffling out to the living room and settling into the couch. Pulling a blanket over her legs that were curled next to her, she reached for the phone and dialled Bosco's number feeling the rush of excitement that was becoming more and more common to her.

Hearing his voice, quiet and relaxed make its way through the receiver and make it to her ear, Faith relaxed into the cushions, feeling a familiar warmth overtake her, inside and out.


	6. 6

He couldn't sleep. Again. He hadn't been able to for a week. Not since she left. He wasn't sure how after only four nights he could have gotten so accustomed to having her sleep next to him, or rather intertwined with him. He had never been one for arms and legs around each other cuddling but Faith was. She had told him that she wasn't, but the first morning he woke up with his arms securely around her, her own arms were around his chest where her head was resting peacefully and their legs were tangled together. Both had denied being the one that started their little snuggle but neither were ready to move when they woke up and somehow that's how they spent the rest of Faith's time there.

Bosco rolled over on his side facing the bright red numbers of the clock that sat on small bedside table, crushing the pillow under his head into a ball with his arm in frustration. Nothing he did made him comfortable. Every time he moved he was more uncomfortable than before. He let out a few choice expletives when he saw the large two followed by a four and an eight.

Talking to Faith for hours before trying to go to bed wasn't exactly helpful either. Every time he started to doze off he would remember the sound of her voice when she told him a long, winding story about her kids or something funny that happened at work or when she laughed robustly at one of his many sarcastic remarks or cheesy jokes and he missed the warmth of her body lying next to his even more.

He sat up roughly pushing back the thin blanket and sheet that covered him. Rubbing his hands over his face he grumbled to himself and stood up unsteadily and shuffled out of his bedroom through the hall that was dimly lit by a small nightlight and into the living room. The curtains covering the large front room window were open wide, letting the night outside slightly brighten the room, bathing everything in the bluish white light of the moon that shone in full.

Bosco walked to the window and stared at the peaceful street that slept around him. Every house was cloaked in complete darkness, and the street lights were few and far between in the small town, giving just enough light without polluting the night sky. How could he have picked somewhere so different than New York City?

His brow furrowed as he looked up and down the short, level road, picturing everyone that lived around him. They were all so different from him. They were mostly young parents with young kids looking for the perfect place to raise their new families or they were the other extreme; older, retired couples looking for a place to settle down.

There was a severe lack of any other types of people.

For the longest time that had been the most charming part of it all. The whole town had this surreal quality to it that had pulled Bosco in. He was looking for perfection when he happened to pass through. Happy families spending their Sundays together, people making it to their last years still content and married; these had only ever been fantasies to him. He had never really known anyone who had this kind of life before.

Standing at the window, he remembered the first day that he arrived, stopping only for some coffee before his journey really began. He hadn't planned to stay so close to home but sitting in the café that soon became his regular haunt he loved the feeling of being surrounded by cheerfulness and family and love. It was unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. Sure he had seen happy families. He wasn't ithat/i jaded, he knew they existed in the city, but the bad far outweighed the good in his world and to be totally surrounded by what he had always dreamed of gave him the kind of peace that he had been searching for. Even after a good few hours sitting and watching the life around him he wasn't sure that this is where he should stay, but the voice screaming inside him told him that he wouldn't find a better place to fix himself.

For the first time in a long time he started to miss things about the city that he had needed to get away from; sound of people in the streets at all hours of night and day, the constant passing of cars, neighbours above, below and next to him making just enough noise so he knew that he wasn't alone, the incessant sirens that travelled all around the city twenty-four hours a day; all things that had started to drive him insane.

Backing away from the window, he turned around and walked over to the table where the picture Faith had held in her hands the day she arrived sat in the shadows. He picked it up and gazed at it through the dimness of the room. Rubbing his index finger across the smooth glass of the photo he let a smile touch his lips.

He laughed lightly to himself when we he realized that they were gazing at each other in pretty much the same way they had been the entire week she had been there. He was amazed at how oblivious not only they had been but everyone around them as well. Putting the photo down, he picked up another from early in their partnership. He couldn't determine if he was seeing something that wasn't there simply because he knew what they both felt now or if something had always been there, built in to their relationship from the start. Bosco shook his head realizing for the first time that Fred had had good reason to see something. He could possibly be the only one that iwasn't/i blind to the whole situation.

Letting himself fall into the sofa cushions after putting the picture back in its place, he laid back and stared at the ceiling above him. What the hell was he doing here? That question played over and over in his head, like it had so many times before. He had always been able to answer it, and the answer was always the same; he was making himself happy. He was living the simple life, with no worries, no stress.

But tonight he had no answer. As he searched the ceiling for kind of solution to his question he had to struggle to hold himself back from reaching for the phone and calling Faith. If it hadn't been the middle of the night he wouldn't have been able to stop his hand from dialling her number. He knew that she would be able to tell him what he needed, even if it was that she didn't have an answer either. Then he would at least know that he had to change something.

Frustrated that his once simple question was now unanswerable, he groaned loudly and pulled himself off the couch and practically ran to his bedroom, flipping on the bright overhead light as he entered. Opening the closet, he reached in and pulled out the dark blue duffle bag that sat on a shelf and tossed in on the bed before going to the dresser and pulling open the drawers. Taking piles of clothes, he threw them into the waiting open bag. He wasn't sure what exactly his plan was but he knew that he couldn't stay in the place where he wasn't sure what it was doing for him anymore.

Not even sure exactly what he had packed, he zipped up the bag before slipping on the pair of jeans that were draped over the chair in the corner. Pulling on a t-shirt he took the bag from his bed and made his way through the hall to the front door. Taking a quick look around, giving himself time to turn around and go back to bed and forget everything, he slid on his shoes and grabbed the keys and headed outside, locking the door behind him.

Sliding behind the wheel of the car that sat in his dark driveway, he smiled as he turned the key in the ignition. His stomach flipped in on itself as he started backing out of the driveway.

Off all of the times he had been tempted to jump in the car and go home, he had only ever felt fear and apprehension which had driven him back inside and had made him realize that he was far from ready to be anywhere near New York City. This time though, the flips of his stomach were much less of fear and so much more of excitement mixed with a touch of nervousness about how Faith and his mother would react to seeing him.

Exhaling heavily, blowing out all of his anxiety and inane worries he pressed his foot down on the accelerator smiling at the fact that in mere hours he would be back in the city he once thrived in.

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The loud ring of the phone pulled Faith's concentration from the wall that had been captivating her gaze since she had sat herself down with a cup of coffee and the newspaper that remained unopened. Smiling as she focused her attention on getting to the phone, she answered happily.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom," Charlie's voice came cheerfully.

"Hey sweetheart. You're up early," Faith answered, sitting back down at the table and sipping her coffee. "What's up?"

"Nothin'. I just wanted to call 'cause I'm not gonna be home until late tomorrow, and I wanted to talk to you about something."

Faith didn't know how to feel about the seriousness in her son's voice. She leaned back in her chair sighing into the phone. Up until now, all of Charlie's serious talks had been amusing; what he should do about the girl at school that wouldn't leave him alone, how he should tell Emily she looked bad in an outfit when she asked without her getting angry and starting a fight. This time though, he sounded really, truly serious.

"Okay, Charlie. Go for it," she said, knowing that her apprehension would be clearly evident in her voice, so much so that even Charlie would pick it up. He sighed on the other end of the line, preparing himself for the talk he had been waiting to have with his mother for sometime now.

"So do you…I mean, like, are you and Uncle B. like dating or whatever?" His voice was quiet and nervous, and it sounded to Faith that he was mildly scared of what her response would be.

Smiling at his question, she straightened up in her seat, not really sure of what to say. How weird would it be for your 'uncle' and your mom to be dating? She knew that Emily was happy about it; Emily had actually been convinced that they were carrying something on over the phone before Faith went to see him, so the day Faith got home and sat her daughter down to tell her the news, Emily smirked at her mother and shrugged asking how this qualified as news. But she wasn't sure how Charlie would react. He loved Bosco. And he missed him terribly since Fred had sent him away forbidding him from coming near their family anymore, but this was new territory.

"Would you be okay with that, if we were?" Faith's voice was quiet, fearing the answer that would follow. She held her breath waiting for Charlie's answer.

"Well, I guess. I don't really know. Emily said that it's good. And that you guys are happy. So, yeah I'd be okay with it." Faith smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she had both of her kids behind her.

"Well, we are Charlie," Faith started but was interrupted promptly by her son.

"Are you moving away?"

Opening her mouth to give him a quick no, Faith stopped herself. She realized suddenly that she didn't know the answer. Bosco hadn't asked her and she doubted that he would ask her to leave her family, friends, work…her life behind to be with him. Sitting there, listening to her son wait patiently for an answer, she realized that she would, in a heartbeat. If he asked her to, she would pack her bags and go to him. Knowing better than to tell Charlie that who would without a doubt tell Fred and Emily that she had told him that she was moving, she reassured him that she wasn't moving and that they had really only been together for a week.

Happy with his mother's answers Charlie told her about his plans for the day, the soccer game and the party and the sleepover that were consuming his weekend before they said their goodbyes.

Turning the phone off, Faith took her coffee in her hands and went to the sofa with the newspaper, resigned to actually reading it this time. Putting her cup on the table next to her, she turned open the first page of the paper. Three lines into her first article her concentration was broken by the light knock that came to the door. Annoyed, she looked to the door contemplating ignoring it completely and enjoying her day alone until there was another knock louder than the first.

Grumbling, she threw the newspaper on the coffee table and straightened her pyjama top as she shuffled her way to the door. Sliding back the chain lock, she pulled the door open, sucking in a harsh breath when she saw that it was Bosco standing on the other side.

"Hey," he said, a self-assured sexy grin plastered on his face. Bosco stood watching a million emotions pass over her face before she threw herself at him, burying her face in his neck. He laughed lightly and pulled her into him, his hands going up her back resting where the ends of her hair tickled his fingers.

"Hi," Faith said after a few moments of standing in his arms in her open door. The smell of freshly brewed coffee swirled out of the open door into the hallway reminding Bosco of just how tired he was. He pulled away eventually, just far enough to look at her.

"Surprised?" Bosco asked her as he moved his face closer to hers. He couldn't get over how inviting she looked in her pyjamas. He had never though of pink flannel as sexy before then, but he knew that he would never look at it the same again.

"Completely," she answered as their lips brushed against each other and she gripped him tighter. She smiled when he moaned against her mouth while she pulled him inside her apartment, never breaking apart from him. He kicked the door closed behind them as they entered the bright room.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly when they finally broke apart with their foreheads and noses pressed together. She sighed happily against him, loving the feel of his face in her hands as she rubbed her thumbs over his cheeks, holding his head in her hands. She slowly started to move her hands to the back of his head, feeling the light brown curls twist around her fingers.

"Not that I'm complaining," she added quickly and softly.

"What can I say? I missed ya too much," he said playfully, kissing her again. His hands moved slowly, teasingly down her back. Reaching the hem of her shirt, Bosco's fingers brushed against the warm, soft skin of the small of her back causing her to moan into him this time.

"Em's gone to Fred's, right?" he whispered slowly into her neck after kissing along her jaw line before reaching the spot behind her ear that caused her to press into him.

"Yeah," she started, moving to face him. "Until tomorrow night at least." Kissing his chin, she moved to his neck as her hands felt their way across his chest.

"Good." His face was leaning against the top her head, the smell of her hair wafting around him as he walked her down the hall towards her bedroom. Faith giggled, moving her mouth back to his as Bosco's fingers tickled up and down her sides under her shirt.

Making their way to the room he playfully threw them both on top of the recently made bed, forcing Bosco's name from Faith's mouth through her laugh as they landed tangled up in each other.

Hearing her laughter and her calling out his name made Bosco's stomach jump with excitement and from that one little feeling, that one lurch of happiness, he knew that he had made the right move in driving back to New York City, back to Faith and he could wait until later to figure out if he would be able to call this place home again.


	7. 7

It was the sound of a car horn echoing throughout the room pulled Bosco from the deep, peaceful sleep he had been wrapped in. Startled, his eyes opened wide before quickly shutting again in the brightness of the afternoon sun that flowed in the windows. After a few moments of complete disorientation, Bosco's mind cleared of the groggy, sleep induced state and the memories of the morning came rushing back.

Rolling over he was met by empty cold sheets, causing an annoyed groan to come from his mouth. Lifting his head, he looked around the room, his eyes squinting against the brightness. His head fell back into the soft pillow while he inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of Faith's bedroom. Smiling, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, reached down to grab his jeans that were in a pile on the floor and pulled them up over his hips.

He hadn't had the time to take in Faith's apartment when he arrived earlier, but as he walked out through the hall to the living room he looked around bright, homey rooms loving the feeling of familiarity that accompanied them. Even before he left New York, he hadn't really spent all that much time in her apartment, but he had always felt comfortable within its walls. Everything inside screamed Faith, making him trust the place completely which had led to him opening up to her on more than one occasion inside the confines of the apartment.

Stopping in the doorway to the living room, he saw Faith sitting at the table with her back to him, her work spread out in front of her. Sitting with her hand resting under her chin, supporting her head, she stared down at the papers, struggling to keep on task. He quietly walked up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders he kissed the side of her head. She relaxed completely under him, dropping the pen that she held in her right hand.

"Mmm, it's about time you got up," Faith laughed. She tilted her head upwards, meeting his lips with hers. "I just made some coffee. I figured you would want some when you woke up," she added when he pulled away and took the seat next to her.

"I know. I smelled it," Bosco answered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Faith smiled when he yawned and rested his head on his fist.

"What are you working on?" He asked looking at the piles of paper sitting on the table. Faith sighed heavily and picked up her pen and tapped the end against the pad of paper she was jotting notes on.

"That case that wouldn't end."

Letting out a brief chuckle he reached over and pushed the hair back from her neck and let his fingers brush against the skin there. The sun beaming in through the window lit up her features as it reflected off the white sheets of paper. Faith looked back at him and watched his eyes follow his fingers as they trailed over her skin.

"Did you sleep okay?" She asked quietly after a few moments. A light smile touched his lips as he nodded and pulled his hand away before meeting her eyes.

"It was nice. I was exhausted. The drive felt like it took forever." His eyes never left hers as they sat staring at each other listening to his soft words. He watched her grow thoughtful and questioning, her eyes searching his for an answer to some unspoken question.

Before Bosco could question her pensive turn, suddenly Faith grinned and pushed herself away from the table. Standing, she kissed the top of Bosco's head.

"I'm gonna get you some coffee," she said, heading toward the kitchen, never pausing to wait for a response from him. Following her with his eyes, he scrunched his forehead not liking the feeling that he was getting from her. She seemed to be withdrawn and sullen. They hadn't really talked since he had knocked on her door that morning.

Exhaling heavily he got up and followed her into the kitchen. He stood behind her, watching while she took a mug out of the cupboard over the sink and set it on the counter before filling it with steaming coffee. Reaching her just as she set the pot back in the coffee maker, Bosco traced his fingers down her upper arms.

"Faith," he started, getting her to turn to face him. Faith leaned herself against the counter only inches from Bosco. "What's up? You were happy when I got here this morning." His voice trailed off while he moved his hands along her arms.

"Nothing's wrong, Bos," she started with a chuckle that Bosco could tell was forced. "I was happy this morning and I'm happy now." Her words came out biting and defensive. She held out the mug for him to take from her. Doing so, he absentmindedly put it right back on the counter.

"You and I both know that I can tell when you're lying," his voice was quiet, and he was trying to keep things light despite the ominous feeling that had settled in his stomach. "Now, tell me. What's wrong?"

Faith just shook her head as she leaned forward and rested her head on Bosco's shoulder, snaking her arms around his waist.

"I don't want you to be here if it's not where you want to be." Her words came in a whisper after a few moments of stretching silence. She immediately felt him tense under her and she wished that she could take it back. The last thing she wanted was to fight with him but lying to him was pretty much out of the question.

Instead of pushing her away, Bosco moved his hands from her arms to her back. She could still feel the frustration radiating from him as he hugged her to him.

"What makes you think I don't want to be here?" sharp and fast, he spoke. He was trying to hold in the urge to shake her and scream that if he didn't want to be here that he wouldn't be. She could be so damn stubborn.

She had always been too concerned with making sure that everyone else was in a cloud of ignorant bliss while she let herself take any and all bad that would come along and be the one to suffer as a result. It was becoming blatantly obvious that this is what she was doing now.

"You have a new home, Bosco. You can't pretend that you're happy to be here when I know you're not," speaking quietly, she pushed away from him folding her arms over her chest. "Do you remember what you said to me earlier?"

Searching his mind, he remembered saying nothing that would piss her off, or even lead her to think that he didn't want to be here. He vaguely remembered her voice breaking softly into the quiet room as he drifted off to sleep but he wouldn't have even been able to guess what she had said. The soothing drawl of her voice and the calming affect of her arms across his chest had eased him into the sleep that he had struggled for over a week to find, causing her words to get lost in a sea of relaxation.

Seeing his eyebrow raised and his eyes stare into her with a look of complete loss and confusion she rolled her eyes and picked up the mug that sat on the counter beside her and took a drink before thrusting it at Bosco. Taking it gratefully this time, he took a sip before putting it back down.

"I asked you how long you were staying. And do you remember what your answer was?" Seeing that he wasn't going to answer from the look that graced his features at her question the sighed with frustration and continued. "You told me forever. Forever, Bos. Why would you do that?"

Why the hell was she mad? God, this woman drove him nuts.

"Am I hearing you right? You are freaking out because I said that I was gonna stay? You're crazy, you know that?"

"Real mature, Bosco," Faith threw back at him with her hands on her hips. "How can I not be angry?"

This was unreal. Bosco was standing in front of her, watching her mouth move, hearing the words come out of her but he was lost. Completely and totally lost.

"I don't even know what I meant, Faith. I was half asleep!" He couldn't help the new level of loudness his voice had taken as he threw his hands in the air to emphasize his point.

"And what the hell does it matter if I wanted to stay? It's my decision to make," he didn't want to yell at her, but damn it if she still couldn't push his buttons with nothing more than a simple look, or in this case an over-reaction to a simple statement.

"Well what if I don't want you here?" she hollered back clearly annoyed at the strength in his voice. Faith let her hands fall from her hips at the defeated and lost look that washed over Bosco and immediately she regretted the words that had just come flying from her mouth.

"Bos, no…that's not what I meant," she said taking a step towards him only for him to step back. He looked at her only briefly before moving his eyes away again, nodding sadly.

"Forget it," he said simply, turning around and walking out of the kitchen. Rubbing her forehead, Faith groaned at herself before following after him. No matter how hard she tried she could never manage to say the right words the first time; to get him to understand what she meant the first time she spoke. Her words always seemed to lead them into a fight. And Bosco was always so quick to believe that everyone in his life thought the worst of him, that he would take the most horrible meaning possible from any statement, not wanting or feeling the need to search for a deeper meaning.

Practically jogging into the living room behind him Faith called to him once more, this time getting him to stop in his tracks. His back still to her, she took a deep breath while she searched for the right way to put her thoughts into words so he understood fully what she meant.

"You weren't happy here," Faith said finally, her voice extremely quiet. As she spoke the words, Faith felt her chest tighten. It was a simple sentence but she could physically feel the weight of its implication. Her eyes were focused squarely on the rug underneath her feet as she heard him shuffle around to face her from across the room.

She looked up just has he opened him mouth to respond but she raised her hand to quiet him.

"A big part of you died that day in the hospital."

Bosco scoffed at her words. That was the understatement of the century. He had woken up as someone completely different and since then had faced the eternal struggle to find some resemblance of his old self whenever he looked in the mirror or was alone with his thoughts and forced to sort through his mind.

Faith's head shot up, her eyes meeting his in a glare that shut him up before she continued.

"Before you left, I would look at you and see a horrible sadness in your eyes that just wouldn't go away. I could see every fleck of pain that turned your eyes a dull, tainted grey." Faith stopped, letting the silence wrap around them. The only sound was that of the passing traffic three levels below and constant ticking of the clock that hung on the wall in the kitchen.

"My heart broke a little more every time I looked at you, knowing that I couldn't help you, that I couldn't say anything to make you realize that you were loved, that you are loved."

"Faith," Bosco interrupted. "You didn't need to say anything."

"I know. I know. But me and helplessness never really went well together," she said with a light laugh. "But Bos, when I saw you sitting in that café, all of the bad and sadness and pain that had settled all around you was gone. All I saw was you." She stopped, feeling her eyes water, feeling the breaking of her heart she had only a year earlier been so accustomed to.

"If you stay, I'm afraid that the grey will come back. I don't want to see that again. Bosco, I can't see that again, I just can't."

Tentatively walking towards her, Bosco exhaled slowly, letting the anger he was feeling towards her float away on his breath. When he reached her he took her chin lightly in his fingers and tilted her face forcing their eyes to meet.

"Faith, I'm still me here. Things are different now. We're different now. That won't change. I can be happy here too. I just needed time. And hey, if I do turn into that guy that we both had enough of, I give you permission to kick my ass."

Faith rolled her eyes and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck.

"I mean it, Bosco. If you're not happy, you're not staying. I'm not going to put up with you being unhappy." Faith turned her face towards him placing a single kiss right under his jaw line before leaning back so he could see her eyes and be able to read the seriousness that had taken residence in her light greens.

"I will go back with you. I mean, if you can't stay here, we can go back together." His face softened as she spoke and his lips curled in a soft, appreciative smile. Faith kissed his lips briefly and leaned her head against the side of his.

The fresh scent of her shampoo invaded his nostrils with each one of his heavy breaths as he tried to keep his emotions at bay. She was willing to do anything to make him happy, even if it meant that she had to give up everything she knew, everything she loved. He had never had anyone in his life like that before. Not even his mother was that selfless when it came to her only living son. She had the sense to know that sometimes she had to do what was best for herself in order to thrive.

Faith though, Faith was a different story. She had never once put herself before anyone. For as long as Bosco knew her, she had always been willing to make sure that everyone else was happy and taken care of. He remembered sitting in the RMP with her one incredibly slow night and listening to her talk about herself. Her voice had been quiet and soothing and he remembered her saying that it was like she fed off of other people's happiness, but that was okay because it was all she knew.

Holding her against him, hearing her tell him that she would do whatever it took for him to be happy he came to a realization that this time was going to be different. For the first time in her life, he would make sure that Faith's happiness came first. He would make sure that ihe/i would be the one to feed off her joy.

Bosco squeezed her harder before reluctantly letting his arms loosen and stepping back, keeping his hands on her waist. Her eyes were flooded with worry but they softened and sparkled when he smiled at her.

"All you have to do to make me happy is be happy yourself. Don't think about me; think about yourself. That will make me happy."

Faith blushed slightly at his words, but didn't really understand why. Maybe it was because he spoke them with such intimacy and understanding of her soul that she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She looked away, a self conscious smile gracing her features.

"Bosco," she started quietly, meeting his eyes once more. "Honestly? You're here, in New York. That makes me happy. It feels right." She spoke softly, almost as if she was afraid of what his response to her would be. She knew better than to be fearful of him, but she didn't want to upset him. He had far too much in his life do just that over the years that she wanted to be the only one in his life that never upset or hurt him or made him feel worthless. She wanted to be the one that made him realize the kind of person that he was; kind, caring, warm, passionate…Four words that were rarely associated with Bosco by anyone who didn't know the real him.

"But, if you -- " Faith continued, but Bosco raised his fingers to her lips, silencing her.

"Faith…Don't try to say what you think I want to hear. Tell me what you want." Bosco's voice held that annoyed tone that he took with her whenever she was on his last nerve. It was a tone that was always serious but mildly playful, urging her on, daring her to go against what he wanted.

But she would listen to him this time.

"I love you and I want you to stay." Her sentence was frank and to the point. It wasn't sugar coated and she didn't add a 'but'. It was what she wanted and she was determined to do what he asked.

"So I guess I'm staying then," he said with a smile. She smiled broadly with excitement and threw her arms around him. Grinning into her neck, he planted a tiny kiss on her skin.

After a few blissful moments she pulled away and smiled at him widely.

"You must be starving," her voice was soft and caring and motherly. He nodded, letting the chuckle rise in his throat.

"I'll make you something to eat," Faith said turning and walking to the kitchen. As she started rhyming off items that she could make for him, Bosco looked around the rooms surrounding him. He felt a rush of excitement he wasn't sure he would ever be able to associate with the city again and then he knew. He knew that he would have to call him mother and tell her about his plan to move back to the city; he knew that he would have to pack up and sell his house; he knew that he had time to think about that later. He knew that he was home.

Nodding, he breathed deeply and smiled before walking into the kitchen.


End file.
